Another Age Thing?

I hate to think I may have to give up chili, but something is different now. I don't know exactly how long it's been this way, but noticed something about myself (my body specifically) last night after I chowed down on chili for dinner.

I know most people's first thought goes right to gas and flatulence, but that's not it. No, actually I don't have a problem with that at all. Okay... Everyone around me might, but I don't. No, that's not it at all.

I eat plain ol' Nalley's Chili con Carne with beans. I eat the regular "hot" variety (not shown on their website), not the jalapeno hot variety (that's just painful). I usually add just a tad bit of additional red pepper flakes in it while it's cooking, but not always. Sometimes I add some chopped onions in it, but not always. Sometimes I add some diced tomatoes to it, but again... Not always. Another thing I'll do occasionally is add some shredded cheese like I did last night. This time it happened to be Cojack cheese, but that's really not important.

What happened? Well, shortly after eating it, I was practically asleep. I say practically, because I was really moving slow and drowsy. It was all I could do to stay awake. Not long after that I got an upset stomach. It didn't get real bad, but neither did it go away on its own. I ended up using Alka Seltzer to squash that (which it did fine). It occurred to me when I was getting my Alka Seltzer that I only had one pack left in the box. Then I thought about it and it occurred to me that I had probably used most of the previous ones in the package on the post episodes of The Chili Blues as well.

Thinking hard about it, I could say with almost absolute certainty that the same thing has happened probably the last half a dozen times after I had eaten chili. Each time may have had a different thing added to it or not, I don't know--I usually don't do it exactly the same way every time. The only thing that I always do the same is that I eat the crackers and chili bite for bite. That translates to at least a complete package (sleeve) of crackers by the time the chili is finished.

There is something here that isn't agreeing with me any more I guess, but I didn't really see it. Either I'm eating too much total, too many crackers, or shouldn't be eating one or the other any more at all. Now that I think of it, I eat that many crackers when I eat soup too. I also get very tired after that, but I don't get an upset stomach.

I told Elaine about it at work today, and she said maybe it was too spicy, but I was quick to point out that my chili really isn't that spicy. I eat lots of things much more spicy than that with no odd effects. Then she suggested something odd: Adding a little vinegar to it while cooking. She said just a little bit, like a cap full. Hell, I dunno... I'll give it a shot next time. Who knows.

I just don't want to hear that it's an age-related thing again. Something like my body has changed and I can no longer eat a particular food I've eaten all my life? I wouldn't be surprised if that doesn't happen to me at some point in my life, but I sure hope it's not something that I love. Maybe it's just a metabolism thing and I just need to tone it down somewhat. Hell, maybe it's only the crackers. Oh man, but I love saltine crackers too!

One thing is for sure: I've lasted most of my 51 years with a "cast-iron stomach" and have enjoyed the hell out of it. I could eat anything and eat lots of it too. I guess it's time to start keeping a logbook or something so I can figure it out.

Dammit.